…and government subsidies. The Cat, which ran between Bar Harbor and Yarmouth, N.S., and Portland and Yarmouth, N.S., has made its last run. The Canadian government has pulled funding from the high-speed summer ferry, which it has underwritten since its debut. The Cat made looping through downeast Maine and Maritime Canada easy, cutting endless hours off the drive. It was a fun ride while it lasted.

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Professional writer/editor Hilary Nangle has been writing about her home state for more than 20 years. She shares her finds and faves in publications ranging from the Boston Globe to National Geographic Traveler, as well as in her Moon guidebook series for Maine.